by: Joseph Gordon
The latest Hearthstone expansion “The League of Explorers” will launch November 12th with 45 new cards and new single-player missions. The expansion is centered around Warcraft’s Brann Bronzebeard and his team of archaeological explorers. The new cards come with a new mechanic, “Discover” which will present the player with 3 random cards to choose from that can be used by their class. The discovered cards that you are presented with do not have to be part of your deck or collection.
The new cards and character are fun and give us what we expect from a good Hearthstone Expansion. I’m really look forward to the single-player missions and how the pro players incorporate these new cards into their existing decks.
I also got the opportunity to attend this year’s Blizzcon and I have to say it was the best one yet. The event was a well designed, smooth and comfortable experience for those in attendance. Inside lines were minimal and access to Blizzard staff and developers was overwhelmingly easy. The Hearthstone experience embodied more than I would expect from a gaming convention.
The Hearthstone Tavern style fireside experience is the pinnacle of game con immersion. The Hearthstone Tavern was a dedicated area on the 2nd floor of the Blizzcon event where players enter into a fully decorated tavern setting. Around the tavern there were familiar relics from the games card art, like the annoy-o-trons logic unit and horn. A bar was setup that you could buy drinks while listening to a live band play familiar Hearthstone tunes. While in the tavern you have access to Hearthstone developer who would answer any questions you had about the game. If you were so bold you could also challenge the developer to a hand of cards. There were also plenty of other gamers who you could challenge and have conversations with. Video screens were positioned throughout broadcasting the gaming competitions so you did not feel you were missing anything going on elsewhere. It was the most comfortable and intimate gaming experience I could have imagined. If you are a Hearthstone fan, this is something you cannot miss next year.